This National Engineering Day, Automation News celebrates five women who were the first to cross thresholds that, before them, were closed.
It takes creativity, skill, passion, and persistence to follow a dream or an idea and to see it through. And sometimes it takes courage, too.
The engineers we’ve chosen made a space for themselves in environments where women were rarely seen. They built a new mould – and whether they knew it or not, it was a mould that meant women were no longer alone in their ambitions.
What’s that famous quote – “Well-behaved women seldom make history”? If these ladies hadn’t pushed for more, we would not have the privilege to honour them now, or to appreciate the doors that they opened by following their passion.
So, while the theme of this year’s National Engineering Day looks to the future of engineering, we look back to those who built the foundations for it – five women whose persistence, intellect, and determination can show us what is possible.
Letitia Chitty
Letitia Chitty was the first woman elected a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. A brilliant mind in structural and aeronautical engineering, she applied mathematical precision to submarine and aircraft design during both World Wars. Her work helped shape modern aerodynamics and proved that women could lead in the most technical corners of engineering.
Nancy D. Fitzroy
Nancy D. Fitzroy broke new ground as the first female president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). A heat transfer expert at General Electric, she not only advanced turbine technology but also championed the inclusion of women in professional engineering circles. Her leadership helped change the culture of engineering institutions toward greater equity.
Kate Gleason
Kate Gleason, often called the “First Lady of Gearing,” was the first woman to enrol in Cornell’s mechanical engineering programme and the first woman to become a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. She revolutionised gear-cutting machines and later turned her attention to affordable housing, using concrete innovations to build entire communities.
Emily Roebling
Emily Roebling stepped into history as the first woman field engineer on a major infrastructure project – the Brooklyn Bridge. When her husband, the chief engineer, became ill, Emily took over day-to-day supervision, mastering complex calculations and materials science. Her leadership ensured the bridge’s completion and challenged 19th-century assumptions about women’s capabilities in engineering.
Edith Clarke
Edith Clarke was the first woman to earn an electrical engineering degree from MIT and the first female professor of electrical engineering in the US. She invented the Clarke Calculator, a device that simplified power line analysis, and her work made long-distance electricity transmission more efficient. Her achievements laid the groundwork for modern power systems and inspired countless women to pursue electronics and electrical engineering.
These women didn’t just make history – they engineered it.
